Foundry mold forming apparatus



y 30, 1961 E. FRANKENSTEIN 2,985,927

FOUNDRY MOLD FORMING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 16, 1958 INVENTOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 30, 1961 E. L. FRANKENSTEIN FOUNDRY MOLD FORMING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16, 1958 May 30, 1961 E. 1.. FRANKENSTEIN 2,985,927

FOUNDRY MOLD FORMING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.3.

May 30, 1961 E. FRANKENSTEIN 2,985,927

FOUNDRY MOLD FORMING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Edgar L. Frunkenste in W XXM TZJ A; WW

May 30, 1961 E. FRANKENSTEIN 2,985,927

FOUNDRY MOLD FORMING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 16, 1958 Ar My) 2,985,927 FOUNDRY MOLD FORMING APPARATUS Edgar L. Frankenstein, Zelienople, Pa., assignor to Herman Pneumatic Machine Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 16, 1958, Ser. No. 767,600

Claims. (Cl. 22-25) This invention relates to foundry mold forming ap paratus. It has to do with apparatus for mass producing foundry molds of high quality with unprecedented efficiency.

My apparatus speedily and accurately assembles patterns and flasks, delivers finely divided mold forming material thereto, compacts the mold forming material and strips the flasks with the compacted molds therein from the patterns which repeat the cycle with other flasks so that a continuous flow of foundry molds is produced which are delivered one after another and may be conveyed to the casting station.

In a production run two patterns are employed which alternately form molds. The patterns may be identical or not as desired. For example, one maybe a cope pattern and the other may be a drag pattern for forming cope and drag mold sections respectively which may be assembled to form completed molds. The molds formed by one pattern are delivered from'one end of the apparatus and the molds formed by the other-pattern are delivered from the other end of the apparatus so that by the employment of suitable conveying equipment the molds may be delivered to an assembly station if they are to constitute the cope and drag halves of an assembled mold. t r

In a preferred form my apparatus comprises a compacting station having means for compacting finely divided mold forming material in aflask against apattern, two stripping stations respectively at opposite sides of the compacting station, each of the stripping stations having means for stripping a flask containing a compacted mold from the pattern against which the mold 'wasjformed, and reciprocable carrying means carrying two patterns, and flasks movable in one directionto simultaneously shift a first pattern with a flask thereonfrom one stripping station to the compacting station and a second pattern with a flask thereon from the compacting station-to the.

r 2,985,927 I Patented May 30,1961

by the jolt table although other compacting means may be employed. The compacting may be accomplished by jolting alone or by squeezing alone but most etficient results are obtained by a combination of jolting and squeezing, particularly when a self-adjusting squeeze head is employed and is carried by the jolt table.

I preferably provide means for raising the reciprocable carrying means prior to shifting movement thereof to unseat the patterns from operative positions at the respective stations and lowering the reciprocable carrying means subsequent to shifting movement thereof to seat the patterns in operative positions at the respective stations. I desirably employ generally vertically movable guide means for guiding the reciprocable carrying means in the shifting movements thereof and means for raising the guide means to raise the reciprocable carrying means prior to shifting movement thereof to unseat the patterns from operative positions at the respective stations and lowering he guide means to lower the reciprocable carrying means subsequent to shifting movement thereof to seat the patterns in operative positions at the respective stations. The generally vertically movable guide means may be a roller table. The carrying means preferably comprises two separate carriers adapted for simultaneous shifting movement between stations but to be independent of each other when positioned at the respective stations. The apparatus preferably has means for shifting the carriers engageable with both thereof when they are to be shifted so that they are shifted simultaneously.

I preferaby utilize a generally vertically movable element having guide means for guiding the reciprocable carrying means in the shifting movements thereof and means for raising the element to raise the reciprocable carrying means prior to shifting movement thereof to unseat the patterns from operative positions at the respective stations and lowering the element to lower the reciprocable carrying means subsequent to shifting movement thereof to seat the patterns in operative positions at the respective stations, the element having means engaging the reciprocable carrying means when the element is in raised position for shifting the reciprocable carrying means.

I further provide foundry mold formingapparatus comprising a compacting station having means for compacting finely divided mold forming material in a flask against a pattern, a stripping station, means for elevating at the compacting station a pattern with a flask thereon containing compacted mold forming material, means for shifting the thus elevated pattern and flask to the stripping station, means at the stripping station engaging the flask other stripping station and movable in the opposite direc--.

tion to simultaneously shift thesecond pattern with a flask thereon from-the second mentioned stripping sta-. tion to the compacting station and the first pattern with a flask thereon'from the compacting station to the-first mentioned strippingstation. I preferably provide means for delivering finely divided mold forming material into each flask as it moves from a. stripping station to the compacting station. Desirably I also provide means for striking off the mold formingmaterial as the flask moves from a stripping station to the campacting station.

The apparatus at the compacting station is more spe cifically described and claimed in copending'application Serial No. 741,826, filed June 13, 1958, now'abando-ned,

and copending application Serial No. 745,381, filed June 30, 1958. The first mentioned copending application is directed to the self-adjusting squeeze head I preferably employed in my apparatus and the second mentioned, copending application is directed to the carrying of :the,

squeezing means by'the jolt table. In my apparatus I preferably utilize a self-adjusting squeeze head carried and elevating it to a higher elevation than that to which it was elevated at the compacting station to strip the compacted mold therein from the pattern and means for conveying the flask away from the stripping station. The last mentioned means are preferably conveying means at the elevation of the thus elevated flask which receive the flask andconvey it generally horizontally. I preferably.

also provide means for applyinganother flask to the pattern at the stripping station. p

I desirably utilize means includingrollers at the stripping station engaging the flask and elevating it to strip the compacted mold therein from the pattern and means at the elevation of the thus elevated flask receiving the flask when moved generally horizontally upon the rollers. At the stripping station in addition to providing means for stripping theflask from the pattern I also preferably provide means for conveying away the stripped flask generally laterally in one direction and simultaneously moving in another 'flask from the opposite direction and applying such other flask to the pattern. In a preferred structure roller conveyors are provided at both'sides' 0f the stripping station at the elevation of the flask supporting rollers when the flask has been stripped from the pattern and means are provided for moving the stripped flask laterally away from the stripping station on one of the roller conveyers and simultaneously moving another flask to the stripping station on the other roller conveyer and applying it to the pattern at the stripping station. I preferably provide means for cleaning and spraying the pattern between the stripping therefrom of the flask containing compacted mold forming material and the applying thereto of another flask.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of foundry mold forming apparatus with the squeeze head and a portion of the mechanism at one end of the apparatus cut away;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 as viewed from the left in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the apparatus; and

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my entire apparatus may be mounted on a single foundation or three separate foundations may be provided, one for the central portion of the apparatus which comprises the compacting station and one for each of the end portions of the apparatus which comprise the stripping stations. At the center of the apparatus viewing Figure 3 is a jolt table 2 adapted to be jolted by any suitable jolting means as well known to those skilled in the art, the jolt table carrying four uprights or posts 3 which in turn carry a squeeze head designated generally by reference numeral 4 and which comprises individually operated squeezing members 5. The structure and operation of the jolting and squeezing means are fully described in said copending applications so will not be described in detail here. It is sufficient to state that at the compacting station at which the jolting and squeezing means are disposed in the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, which station is designated in the drawings by the letter C, the finely divided mold forming material which is disposed in the flasks against the patterns is compacted to form foundry moulds.

At each end of the apparatus is what I term a stripping station designated by the letter S although as will presently appear functions other than a purely stripping func', tion are performed at each of the stations S. Since the apparatus at both of the stations S is the same description of such apparatus at one station will suffice.

Referring to the left-hand portion of Figure 3, the foundation carries fixed supporting elements 6 which in turn carry a fixed head 7 from which project upwardly four supporting and positioning posts 8. In the form shown in the drawings two of the posts 8 which are diagonally opposite each other are provided with upwardly projecting positioning members 9 so that a carrier carrying a pattern may be predeterminately supported and positioned on the posts 8.

The supporting framework has an upwardly projecting portion 10 which supports in stationary position at each side of-the station S a series of rotatable rollers 11 constituting a roller table. One of the roller tables is for delivering away from the center line of the apparatus flasks with compacted molds therein and the other is for delivering empty flasks toward the center line of. the apparatus. The direction of movement of the flasks to and from the stations S is from right to left viewing Figure 1. Flasks designated F are shown in chainlines in certain of the figures of the drawings. s

At each of the stations S there is provided a vertical cylinder 12 in which operates a piston carrying a crosshead 13 having upwardly projecting arms 14 carrying freely rotatably rollers 15 at their upper extremities. The elements 1314-15 constitute a stripper and when a pattern carrier carrying a pattern and flask with a compacted mold therein is positioned upon the posts 8 and the piston in the cylinder 12 is moved upwardly the rollers 15 strip the flask and mold from the pattern and raise the flask to the elevation at which the flask F is shown in Figure 5 whereupon the flask may be delivered laterally upon one of the roller conveyers 11.

Connected with and extending downwardly from the crosshead 13 is a rod 16 which passes through a guide 17 in the fixed head 7 to prevent turning of the crosshead 13 relatively to the fixed head 7 and thus insure proper orientation of the rollers 15 at all times.

The supporting structure carries a transverse cylinder 18 in which operates a piston having piston rods 19 connected therewith and projecting from the cylinder 18 at both ends. Each of the piston rods 19 has adjacent its extremity a transverse member 20 with which are connected members 20a carrying rollers 21. The left-hand set of rollers 21 viewing Figure I ride in tracks 22 carried by the frame and the right-hand set of rollers 21 viewing Figure I ride in tracks 23 carried by the frame. Thus as the piston moves in the cylinder 18 the rollers 21 ride upon the tracks 22 and 23.

Pivoted to the members 20a are detents 24 adapted to engage the upper rim of a flask F as shown in Figure 4. Also connected with the members 20a is a plate 25 having at opposite faces bumpers 26 of rubber-like material. Projecting downwardly from the plate 25 is a compressed air pipe 27 connected with a transverse pipe 28 which is perforated at intervals along its length for the purpose of emitting jets of air to clean the pattern as will presently be described. Spraying means 29 are provided for spraying the pattern between uses for a purpose well known to those skilled in the art.

When a flask F with a compacted mold therein is disposed at either of the stripping stations S the flask and mold are stripped from the pattern by upward movement of the rollers 15 and the flask is raised to the elevation shown in Figure 5. An empty flask is delivered toward the left on the right-hand set of rollers 11 viewing Figure 4 until it engages the plate 25. While that flask is passing under the detents 24 the detents swing upwardly about their pivotal mountings to permit the flask to pass. When the flask reaches the position in which its left-hand edge is against the plate 25 the detents 24 drop down to the operative position shown in Figure 4. Thereupon the piston in the cylinder 18 is moved toward the left viewing Figure 4 and the plate 25 pushes out to the left the stripped flask with the compacted mold therein, such flask and mold being delivered upon the left-hand rollers 11. At the same time the right-hand flask is. by the detents delivered from the right-hand rollers 11 onto the rollers 15 which are still in elevated position. When the right-hand flask F reaches its central position the piston in the cylinder 12 is lowered and the flask is seated upon the pattern P and centered by appropriate positioning pins as well known to those skilled in the art. Between the time when the flask containing the compacted mold is stripped and the new flask is set in place upon the pattern the pattern is cleaned andsprayed by the air jets from the perforated pipe 28 and the spray from the spray mechanism 29; The spray mechanism 29 is mounted in stationary position but the pipe 28 through which the jets of cleaning air are emitted moves with the plate 25 and hence traverses the pattern. The valves controlling the air and pattern spray may be timed so that at the conclusion of the cleaning of the pattern by the air jets the spray 29 is broughttobear upon the pattern; All this occurs while the pattern is free of any flask and the spray 29 is shut oflfbefore the new flask is seatedon the pattern. The stroke of the piston in the'cylinder 18 is determined by adjustablesto'p screws 30 engageable with the ends ofthe piston rods 19.

Adjacent each endof'the apparatus are two opposed vertical cylinders 31 in which operate pistons whose piston rods 32' support for vertical movement an element designated generally by reference numeral 33. The element 33 carries a roller table consisting of a series of freely rotatable rollers 34 and also a cylinder 35 in which operates a piston having piston rods 36 projecting from both ends of the cylinder. Each piston rod 36 has adjacent its end an upward projection 37.

There is provided carrying meansfor the patterns, such carrying means comprising two separate carriers 38 and 39. There is a small space 40 (Figure 3) between the carriers '38 and 39. Each of the carriers 38 and 39 is adapted to have a pattern P bolted or otherwise fastened thereto and to provide for the application of fastening means each carrier has bores 41. During a production run of the apparatus a pattern P will be bolted to the carrier 38 and another pattern P will be bolted to the carrier 39. As above indicated those patterns may be identical or not; normally they will be patterns for forming the cope and drag respectively of the same mold. The ends of the piston rods 36 carry freely rotatable inclined rollers 42 which ride on tracks 43 carried by the frame. The stroke of the piston in the cylinder 35 is determined by adjustable stop bolts 44.

When the element 33 is down. or in its lowermost position, the carriers 38 and 39 are supported only by the supporting means provided at the respective stations at which those carriers are positioned at the time. When, however, the element 33 is raised the projections 37 enter recesses 45 in the respective carirers 38 and 39 whereby the piston in the cylinder 35 is adapted to move both carriers synchronously longitudinally of the apparatus. When the element 33 reaches its uppermost position the carriers are supported upon the rollers 34 and are raised above the supporting means at the respective stations. This frees the carriers for longitudinal movement by the piston in the cylinder 35.

At each side of the compacting station C is a hopper or chute 46 adapted to receive finely divided mold forming material as from an endless conveyor 47 (Figure and to deliver the finely divided mold forming material downwardly into a flask as the flask moves from one of the strippingstations S to the compacting station C. The amount of mold forming material delivered will be determined by the amount delivered upon the conveyor 47, and desirably the proper amount of mold forming material will be delivered to properly fill the flask. Thus the mold forming material is delivered into the initially empty flask as the flask is moving from one of the stripping stations S to the compacting station C. At the same time the mold forming material is struck on by a downwardly projecting vertically adjustable strike-off member 48 carried by the corresponding hopper or chute 46. Consequently as each flask moves to the compacting station it is filled with finely divided mold forming material and the moldforming material is struck off.

A cycle of operation of the apparatus will now be described. With reference initially to Figure 3, let it be considered that a pattern P with a flask F thereon carried by the carrier 39 has received finely divided mold forming material and the mold forming material has been compacted at the compacting station C by the combined jolting and squeezing of the means provided at that station as fully described in said copending applications. The jolt table has been stopped and the squeezing members 5 havebeen raised toinoperative position. At the same time a pattern P and an empty flask F are disposed on the carrier. 38. :The element 33 is down.

.1 The element 33 is raised by admitting fluid under pressure beneath the pistons in the cylinders 31. The projections 37 enter the recesses 45 and the rollers 34 pick up the carriers 38 and 39 and raise them and the patterns and flasks carried thereby so as to free them from the supports at the respective stations. Thereupon fluid is admitted to the left of the piston in the cylinder 35 viewing Figure 3 and that piston is moved to the right carrying with it the carriers 38 and 39 and thepatterns and flasks thereon. The movement is rapid until near the end of the stroke when it is cushioned by an air cylinder 49 which is duplicated at the opposite ends of the apparatus. The stroke is as above indicated determined by the adjustable stop bolt 44 at the right-handend of Figure 3. The carrier 39 is stopped with the flask containing the compacted mold centered at the righthand stripping station S viewing Figure 3. During movement from the left-hand stripping station S to the compacting station C of the empty flask carried by the pattern on the carrier 38 that flask is filled with finely divided mold forming material delivered through the corresponding chute 46 and struck off by the strike-olf element 48. The carrier 38 stops in centered position at the compacting station C.

With the carrier 39 centered at the right-hand stripping station S viewing Figure 3 and the carrier 38 centered at the compacting station C the element 33 is lowered and the carrier 39 is supported and centered upon the posts 8 of the right-hand stripping station S viewing Figure 3. At the same time the carrier 38 with its pattern and flask filled with uncompacted mold forming material is centered at the compacting station upon the cen-' tering members 50. The mold forming material in the flask on the carrier 38 is compacted by the combined jolting and squeezing action at the compacting station. While such compacting is being effected the flask at the right-hand stripping station S is stripped by upward movement of the rollers 15 which as above described raise the flask containing the compacted mold to the level of the rollers 11 whereupon the piston in the cylinder 18 is moved toward the left viewing Figure 4 delivering the flask with the compacted mold therein to the left and delivering an empty flask to centered position at the stripping station as above described. Thereupon the rollers 15 are moved downwardly and the empty flask is seated upon the pattern carried by the carrier 39.

It should be explained that it is not essential that thecarrier 39 and pattern P with the flask thereon be seated upon the posts 8 of the right-hand stripping station S viewing Figure 3 when the element 33 is lowered as do;- scribed in the first sentence of the next preceding paragraph, as the rollers 15 of the right-hand stripping station S viewing Figure 3 may start their upward move ment and strip the flask from the pattern before the car-' rier 39 and pattern reach supported position on the posts 8; "or the upward movement-of the rollers 15 may be' started while the element 33 carrying the carrier 39 and the pattern and flask thereon with a compacted mold in the flask is lowering but timed 'to strip the flask from the pattern just as or immediately after the carrier 39 seats on the posts 8.

The foregoing description covers a half cycle of operation of the apparatus. ed' by raising the element 33 as described at the beginning of the third preceding paragraph, but the succeed ing movement of the carriers 38 and 39 is to the'left viewing Figure 3 instead of to the right. The steps;- thereafter are analogous and parallel to those above def scribed but to the left viewing Figure 3 instead of to the right.

Thus 1 form and deliver with great accuracy and with unprecedented efiiciency compacted molds ofmold forming material adapted for casting in the foundry. If the molds produced by use of my'apparatus are cope and drag molds adapted to be assembled to form a can: plete mold for casting, means may be provided for invert-' The succeeding half cycle is start 7 ing the cope molds and bringing them into position' over the drag molds as they are being delivered toward the casting station.

A method of forming foundry molds herein disclosed and which may be practiced on the apparatus of this application as well as otherwise is claimed in my copending application Serial No. 767,599, filed of even date herewith.

While I have shown and described a present. preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Foundry mold forming apparatus comprising a compacting station having means for compacting finely divided mold forming material in a flask against a pattern, two stripping stations respectively at opposite sides of the compacting station, each of the stripping stations having means for stripping a flask containing a compacted mold from the pattern against which the mold was formed, and reciprocable carrying means carrying two patterns and flasks movable in one direction to simultaneously shift a first pattern with a flask thereon from one stripping station to the compacting station and a second pattern with a flask thereon from the compacting station to the other stripping station and movable in the opposite direction to simultaneously shift the second pattern with a flask thereon from the second mentioned stripping station to the compacting station and the first pattern with a flask thereon from the compacting station to the first mentioned stripping station.

2. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for delivering finely divided mold forming material into each flask as it moves from a stripping station to the compacting station.

3. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for delivering finely divided mold forming material into each flask and striking off the mold forming material as the flask moves from a stripping station to the compacting station.

4. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for raising the reciprocable carrying means prior to shifting movement thereof to unseat the patterns from operative positions at the respective stations and lowering the reciprocable carrying means subsequent to shifting movement thereof to seat the pat terns in operative positions at the respective stations.

5. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having generally vertically movable guide means for guiding the reciprocable carrying means in the shifting movements thereof and means for raising the guide means to raise the reciprocable carrying means prior to shifting movement thereof to unseat the patterns from operative positions at the respective stations and lowering the guide means to lower the reciprocable carrying means subsequent to shifting movement thereof to seat the patterns in operative positions at the respective stations.

6. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having a generally vertically movable roller table for guiding the reciprocable carrying means in the shifting movements thereof and means for raising the roller table to raise the reciprocable carrying means prior to shifting movement thereof to unseat the patterns from operative positions at the respective stations and lowering the roller table to lower the reciprocable carrying means subsequent to shifting movement thereof to seat the patterns in operative positions at the respective stations.

. 7. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the reciprocable carryingmeans comprises two separate carriers adapted for simultaneous shifting movement between stations but to be independent of each other when positioned at the respective stations.

8. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the reciprocable carrying means comprises two separate carriers adapted for simultaneous shifting movement betwenstations but to be independent of each other when positioned at the respective stations, the apparatus having means for shifting the carriers engageable with both thereof when they are to be shifted so that they are shifted simultaneously.

9. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having a generally vertically movable element having guide means for guiding the reciprocable carrying means in the shifting movements thereof and means for raising the element to raise the reciprocable carrying means prior to shifting movement thereof to unseat the patterns from operative positions at the respective stations and lowering the element to lower the reciprocable carrying means subsequent to shifting movement thereof to seat the patterns in operative positions. at the respective stations, the element having means engaging the reciprocable carrying means when the element is in raised position for shifting the reciprocable carrying means.

10. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the reciprocable carrying means comprises two separate carriers adapted for simultaneous shifting movement between stations but to be independent of each other when positioned at the respective stations, the apparatus having a generally vertically movable element having guide means .for guiding the reciprocable carrying means in the shifting movements thereof and means for raising the element to raise the reciprocable carrying means prior to shifting movement thereof to unseat the patterns from operative positions at the respective stations and lowering the element to lower the reciprocable carrying means subsequent to shifting movement thereof to seat the patterns in operative positions at the respective stations, the element having means engaging both carriers when the element is in raised position for simultaneously shifting the carriers.

11. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which means are provided at each of the stripping stations to apply another flask to the pattern after stripping therefrom of a flask containing a compacted mo l2. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the means at each of the stripping sta-,

tions for stripping the flask containing a compacted mold from the pattern against which the mold was formed includes rollers engaging the flask and elevating it to effect the stripping and the apparatus is provided with roller conveyors at both sides of each stripping station which at each stripping station are disposed at the elevation of the rollers when the flask at that stripping station has been stripped from the pattern and means for moving each stripped flask laterally away from the stripping statron at which it was stripped from its pattern on one of the roller conveyors and simultaneously moving another flask to the stripping station on the other roller conveyor and applying it to the pattern.

13. Foundry-mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for delivering finely divided mold forming material into each flask as it moves from a stripping station to the compacting staton and in which means are provided at each .of the stripping stations to apply another flask to the pattern after stripping therefrom a flask containing a compacted mold.

l4. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for elevating at the compacting station patterns each with a flask thereon containing compacted mold forming material, means for shifting each thus elevated pattern and flask to one of the stripping stations, means at such stripping station engaging such flask and elevating it to a higher elevationthan that to which it was elevatedat the compacting station to strip the compacted mold therein from the pattern therein and 9 means for conveying such flask away station.

15. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for shifting patterns each with a flask thereon containing compacted mold forming material from the compacting station to one of the stripping stations, means at such stripping station engaging each such flask and elevating it to strip the compacted mold therein from the pattern therein and conveying means at the elevation of the thus elevated flask receiving such flask and conveying it generally horizontally.

16. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for shifting patterns each with a flask thereon containing compacted mold forming material from the compacting station to one of the Stripping stations, means at such stripping station for stripping each such flask from the pattern therein, means for conveying away the stripped flask and means for applying another flask to such pattern at such stripping station.

17. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for shifting patterns each with a flask thereon containing compacted mold forming material from the compacting station to one of the stripping stations, means including rollers at such stripping station engaging each such flask and elevating it to strip the compacted mold therein from the pattern therein and means at the elevation of the thus elevated flask receiving such flask when moved generally horizontally upon the rollers.

18. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for shifting patterns each with a flask thereon containing compacted mold forming material from the compacting station to one of the stripping stations, means at such stripping station for stripping each such flask from the pattern therein and means at such stripping station for conveying away the stripped flask generally laterally in one direction and simultaneously moving in another flask from the opposite direction and applying the same to such pattern at such stripping station.

from such stripping 19. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for shifting patterns each with a flask thereon containing compacted mold forming material from the compacting station to one of the stripping stations, means including rollers at such stripping station engaging each such flask and elevating it to strip the compacted mold therein from the pattern therein, roller conveyors at both sides of such stripping station at the elevation of the rollers when such flask has been stripped from the pattern therein and means for moving the stripped flask laterally away from such stripping station on one of the roller conveyors and simultaneously moving another flask to such stripping station on the other roller conveyor and applying it to such pattern at such stripping station.

20. Foundry mold forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having means for shifting patterns each with a flask thereon containing compacted mold forming material from the compacting station to one of the stripping stations, means at such stripping station for stripping each such flask from the pattern therein, means for conveying away the stripped flask, means for applying another flask to such pattern at such stripping station and means for cleaning and spraying such pattern between the stripping therefrom of the flask thereon containing compacted mold forming material and the applying thereto of another flask.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,832,626 Gcddes Nov. 17, 1931 2,680,270 Gedris June 8, 19-54 2,908,950 Miller et al. Oct. 20, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,083,239 France June 23, 1954 523,807 Canada Apr. 10, 1956 UNITED STATEQ-{BATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,985,927 May 30, 1961 Edgar L. Efran'kenstein It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said. Letters Patentv should read as "corrected below. I

Column 2, line 19, for "he" read the column 3,

line 49, for "moulds" read mol-ds line 55, after "one" insert such column 5, line 36, for "carirers" read carriers column 8, line 4, for "betwen" read between line 62, for "Station" read station same column 8, line 65, after "from" insert of Signed and sealed this l7th'day of October 1961.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC- 

